Drainage support apparatus

ABSTRACT

A drainage support apparatus and culvert drain inlet adapter. In accordance with one embodiment, the drainage support apparatus includes a substantially rigid conduit support member having bottom and lateral containment surfaces and an open channel slot running the length of the conduit support member. The apparatus further includes water-permeable barriers transversely disposed in relative abutment at each of the open-faced longitudinal ends of the conduit support member such that the water-permeable barriers substantially prevent aggregate material contained within the apparatus from passing through the open longitudinal ends of the conduit support member. In an alternate embodiment, a culvert pipe inlet adapter of the present invention includes a frame member having a raised drain orifice, and further includes sheet members extending in a saddle-like manner from each of the two lateral sides of the frame member. The inlet adapter can be fitted lengthwise onto a suitably apertured culvert pipe section in a manner such that the culvert pipe is backfill buried while the drain inlet orifice remains above ground.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to drainage systems and in particular to an apparatus and method for collecting and draining surface water. More particularly, the present invention relates to an underground support apparatus for controlling fluid flow in a covered or partially covered drainage channel or culvert.

2. Description of the Related Art

Water drainage systems comprising ditches, canals arroyos, etc., are commonly utilized in and around communities and farms as a means of draining and redirecting excess rainfall to prevent flooding or undesirable water collection and retention. Ditches are commonly dug lengthwise in parallel with the sides of major traffic thoroughfares to control flooding thereon, particularly in areas in which road, building, and home construction have dramatically reduced the exposed earth surface area on which the rain or runoff may be absorbed into the ground. In addition to reducing roadway flood hazards, the disposition of drainage ditches adjacent to streets and highways is logistically convenient in terms of minimizing the obstruction posed by ditches to the community layout.

There are a variety of known types of drainage conduit trenches including open ditches, culverts, closed aqueducts, etc. Having low construction and maintenance costs and relatively high water drainage capacity, open ditches are the most commonly utilized type of community drainage system. While effective for addressing flooding and long term water drainage issues, conventional drainage systems often present major logistical problems in terms of consuming valuable space along the edges of roadways that might otherwise be utilized as sidewalks, bicycle paths, etc. This problem is particularly acute in areas neighborhoods or other developed areas not originally designed to accommodate pedestrian and cyclist traffic and in which the roadside area occupied by open ditches leaves little if any room for a pedestrian and cyclist parallel to the roadway. In addition to rendering significant tracts of surface space unusable, open surface ditches provide additional habitation and breeding grounds for insects, particularly mosquitoes, which pose a nuisance and significant health hazard to resident humans and livestock.

It can therefore be appreciated that a need exists for an improved apparatus, system and method for directing and draining collecting surface water. The present invention addresses such a need.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A drainage support apparatus and culvert drain inlet adapter are disclosed herein. In accordance with one embodiment, the drainage support apparatus includes a substantially rigid conduit support member having bottom and lateral containment surfaces and an open channel slot running the length of the conduit support member. The apparatus further includes water-permeable barriers transversely disposed in relative abutment at each of the open-faced longitudinal ends of the conduit support member such that the water-permeable barriers substantially prevent aggregate material contained within the apparatus from passing through the open longitudinal ends of the conduit support member. In an alternate embodiment, a culvert pipe inlet adapter of the present invention includes a frame member having a raised drain orifice, and further includes sheet members extending in a saddle-like manner from each of the two lateral sides of the frame member. The inlet adapter can be fitted lengthwise onto a suitably apertured culvert pipe section in a manner such that the culvert pipe is backfill buried while the drain inlet orifice remains above ground.

All objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views illustrating component parts, respectively, of a drainage support system in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 1C is a perspective view depicting an assembled drainage support apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view illustrating a culvert drain inlet adapter in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2B is a perspective view depicting an assembled culvert drain apparatus including the drain inlet adapter shown in FIG. 2A in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a cross-section view of an assembled culvert drain apparatus as disposed in a backfilled manner in the ground in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3B is an overhead view of the backfilled culvert drain apparatus shown in FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A is a cross-section view of an assembled culvert drain apparatus in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4B is a perspective view depicting a drain box incorporated in the assembled culvert drain apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is described in a preferred embodiment in the following description with reference to the figures. While this invention is described in terms of the best mode for achieving this invention's objectives, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations may be accomplished in view of these teachings without deviating from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

The present invention is directed to a drainage support apparatus for facilitating the collection and drainage of surface water while eliminating problems associated with open ditches relating to surface obstruction, insect-related epidemics, and the need for frequent maintenance and repair of open ditches. As explained in further detail with reference to the figures, the drainage support apparatus includes structural features and combinations of features enabling substantial portions of open ditches to be replaced with the present subsurface backfilled design. The drainage support apparatus is simple and inexpensive to fabricate, transport and install. In a second embodiment, a culvert drain inlet adapter apparatus is disclosed that enables traditional underground culvert piping to be used to replace open ditches.

With reference now to the figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout, and in particular with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, there are depicted perspective views illustrating component parts of a drainage support system in accordance with the present invention. Specifically, a conduit support member 2 forms the base retention structure for the drainage support apparatus of the present invention. Conduit support member 2 is preferably a substantially rigid open shell member having bottom and lateral containment surfaces as shown in FIG. 1A. As depicted and explained with reference to FIG. 1C, conduit support member 2 provides a bounded flow support shell through which drainage fluid flows lengthwise into and out from the open faces 11 at its longitudinal ends. Conduit support member 2 may be constructed of any substantially rigid material such as metals or plastics and is preferable manufactured as a molded or extruded plastic unit.

In an important feature of the present invention, conduit support member 2 is designed to collect and direct water flow longitudinally and also to collect water draining vertically downward from the ground surface (not depicted) under which the assembly is installed. To this end, conduit support member 2 includes an open channel slot 3 running its longitudinal extent. As shown in the depicted embodiment, conduit support member 2 is preferably formed generally as a half-cylinder such that open channel slot 3 has a width substantially equal to the inner diameter of conduit support member 2. Conduit support member 2 is preferably an injection molded unit for durability and ease of manufacturing and handling. The materials selected to cast conduit support member 2 preferably result in an open shell design capable of supporting a mass of aggregate material (depicted in FIG. 1C) prior to or following installation of conduit support member 2 within a trench or ditch such that the upper edges 1 of conduit support member 2 are level with or below the adjacent ground surface.

To facilitate efficient transport and delivery to drainage installation sites, the drainage support apparatus of the present invention is preferably designed to be installed as a transportably assembled composite unit. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, the drainage support apparatus includes an aggregate containment harness 5 having features cooperating with conduit support member 2 to form a transportable drainage support apparatus in accordance with the present invention such as that illustrated in FIG. 1C. Specifically, aggregate containment harness 5 comprises a pair of perforated or mesh-type end containment barriers 9 that allow water to pass therethrough while substantially providing a containment barrier for the aggregate material contents deposited within conduit support member 2. As shown in the depicted embodiment, end containment barriers 9 are mutually fixedly attached by a pair of substantially lengthwise-incompressible support rods 7 to form the composite unit.

Referring to FIG. 1C, there is illustrated a perspective view depicting an assembled drainage support apparatus 4 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the depicted embodiment, drainage support apparatus 4 comprises aggregate containment harness 5 coupled to conduit support member 2 such that the water-permeable aggregate barriers provided by end containment barriers 9 conform to and are disposed in relative abutment with each of the open-face ends 11 of conduit support member 2. Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B in conjunction with FIG. 1C, support rods 7 connect end containment barriers 9 in mutual disposition corresponding to the transverse, relative abutted position of the containment barriers 9 against the longitudinal ends of conduit support member 2. In this embodiment, aggregate containment harness 5 may be hand fitted, pressed or snap fitted as a separate piece onto conduit support member 2. In this manner, the installer may remove aggregate containment harness 5 after transport and installation of drainage support apparatus 4 within a trench to eliminate the additional drainage flow obstruction posed by end containment barriers 9. In an alternate embodiment, aggregate containment harness 5, with or without support rods 7, may be attached to conduit support member 2 during the manufacturing process to form a integral composite unit.

As further illustrated in FIG. 1C, drainage support apparatus 4 further includes a mass of aggregate material 6 contained within the bottom and side containment support provided by conduit support member 2. In accordance with the present invention, aggregate material 6 generally comprises a loosely clustered mass of individual particle units such as inert mineral or polystyrene particles commonly utilized in underground septic systems or french drains.

In accordance with the method of the present invention, drainage support apparatus 4 is conformably installed within an earthen trench or ditch such that conduit support member 2 and end containment barriers 9 are below the adjacent ground surface. If the desired conduit length exceeds the length of a single unit, more than one such drainage support unit may be installed in an end-to-end manner. After installation within an open trench (not depicted), the open surface above aggregate material 6 (i.e. the area above and adjacent open channel slot 3) is backfilled with water-permeable ground support material such as dirt, sand, sod, or the like, such that drainage support apparatus 4 is encased by the surrounding earthen trench walls on the sides of conduit support member 2 and by a layer of cover soil from above. In this manner, conduit support member 2 provides a bottom-sealed and generally horizontal conduit (excepting the slight vertical incline required for non-pumped natural drainage) such as is providing by conventional culvert piping, while furthermore facilitating substantial vertical collection of drainage from the ground surface above the apparatus without presenting the surface obstruction and health and safety hazards posed by open ditch drainage. Although not explicitly depicted in the figures herein, a water-permeable membrane made of geotextile or similar material, is preferably installed across open channel slot 3 to provide an at least temporary barrier to backfill soil from being directly compressed and interspersed within aggregate material 16. To further enhance the effect of drainage support apparatus 4 as a lengthwise vertical drainage collection conduit, the backfill layer deposited over aggregate material 6 is preferably less than 10 cm deep.

As a constituent feature of the buried apparatus, aggregate material 6 serves several roles. As deposited along the drainage conduit path bounded by conduit support member 2, aggregate material 6 forms a low resistance flowpath through which the collected water flows. In a related characteristic, the relative lower fluid resistance density of the mass of aggregate material 6 relative to the surrounding soil combined with the siphoning effect of the drainage flowing through the aggregate generates a negative pressure which draws surface draining water into drainage support apparatus 4 along its entire open channel slot 3. Furthermore, aggregate material 6 facilitates the near-surface installation of drainage support apparatus 4 by providing sufficient, non-collapsible upward vertical support such that the ground surface above the apparatus may be utilized such as for support pedestrian or vehicular traffic. The upwardly directed weight bearing load provided by the disposition of aggregate material 6 substantially reduces or eliminates the downward forces that a conventional culvert pipe would otherwise bear, resulting in lighter weight and less expensive materials required for conduit support member 2. In the foregoing manner, drainage support apparatus 4 provides a more space efficient drainage system combining the lengthwise drainage inlet capabilities of open ditches with the non-obstructiveness characteristics of underground drainage pipes and culverts.

With reference to FIGS. 2A and 21B, there are depicted perspective views illustrating a culvert drain inlet adapter and an assembled culvert drain apparatus in accordance with alternate embodiments of the invention. As shown in FIG. 2A, a culvert inlet adapter 15 in accordance with the present invention generally comprises a water inlet frame member 26 having a pair of attachment sheet members 22 extending in a curved saddle-like or wing-like manner downwardly therefrom. In accordance with the depicted embodiment, and referring to FIG. 3A in conjunction with FIGS. 2A and 2B, frame member 26 is formed as a rectangular box-like member defining a drain cavity 25 bounded by liquid impermeable lateral sides 28 defining a raised drain inlet orifice over which a drain grate 16 is mounted. The bottom of drain cavity 25 is also substantially a drain orifice and, in the depicted embodiment, is formed by an opposing drain grate 16 member such that a debris filtration box is formed thereby through which water can flow downwardly into the interior of a culvert pipe 24. The double grate feature enables frame member 26 to contain a suitable filtration aggregate material, such as polystyrene beads, to provide enhanced biological and debris filtration of the incoming drainage water prior to entering culvert pipe 24.

The design features of culvert inlet adapter 15 as fitted onto culvert pipe 24 are particularly well-suited for an application in which a culvert drain apparatus 20 is utilized in place of open ditch type drainage systems. As depicted and explained in further detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, culvert drain apparatus 20 is preferably disposed within a suitable earthen trench and backfilled such that most of the apparatus, except for the surface of the drain inlet orifice covered by drain grate 16, is buried underground. FIGS. 3A and 3B depict cross-section and overhead views, respectively, of culvert drain apparatus 20 as disposed in a backfilled manner in accordance with the present invention. As shown in the cross-section view of FIG. 3A, the lateral sides 28 of frame member serve a spacer function for raising the water intake level of the drain inlet orifice to the extent required to accommodate a desired depth of backfill. To this end, the height of lateral sides 28 is preferably greater than 10 cm.

As further depicted in FIG. 3A, culvert inlet adapter 15 is mounted in substantially centered alignment with a slot orifice 14 which is longitudinally disposed as an open channel through the upper wall surface of culvert pipe 24. With the drain inlet orifice raised and exposed at the surface of a perforated cap member such as drain 16 above ground level 19, such that water can freely drain through frame member 26 and into culvert pipe 24 through slot orifice 14, culvert drain apparatus 20 can be utilized to simultaneously serve the traditional culvert function (i.e. underground transverse drain or conduit for transporting water between open input/output mouth ends 29 such as used under roads or between water collection bodies) while also providing the lengthwise water collection function of open ditches.

As illustrated in FIG. 2B, the culvert inlet adapter of the present invention may preferably include coupling straps 21 extending laterally to securely couple frame member 26 and saddle sheet members 22 to the surface of culvert pipe 24. This feature is useful when, given the simplicity and consequent efficiency of manufacturing standard culvert piping, culvert pipe 24 and culvert inlet adapter 15 are produced in separate manufacturing processes after which culvert drain apparatus 20 is assembled by mounting culvert inlet adapter 15 longitudinally onto a section of culvert pipe 24. As further illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, sheet members 22 preferably comprise corrugated sheet metal that provide additional lengthwise stability particularly when the culvert pipe is corrugated. In a further post-manufacturing assembly feature, and as depicted in FIGS. 2B and 3A, saddle sheet members 22 provide structural support and stability for maintaining frame member 26 mounted in its intended longitudinal alignment as well as replacing the breached upper wall of culvert pipe 24 as the primary weight bearing member opposing the backfill.

With reference to FIG. 4A, there is depicted a cross-section view of an assembled culvert drain apparatus 35 in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, culvert drain apparatus 35 includes multiple, stacked drain boxes, including an intermediate drain box 38 and a top filtration drain box 30, which are substantially similar in structure and function as frame member 26. As shown in the depicted embodiment, the drain boxes 30 and 38 are stacked vertically over frame member 26 to increase the spacer depth required for deeper backfill applications. FIG. 4B illustrates top filtration drain box 30 which preferably includes liquid impermeable lateral sides 32 supporting a dual sided drain grate 34. Together, lateral sides 32 and drain grates 34 contain an aggregate material 36 which preferably comprises polystyrene beads that provides a suitably biological filter forum for reducing nitrate levels such as may be introduced by excessive entry of vegetative debris such as cut grass.

While this invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, it is contemplated that alterations, permutations, and equivalents thereof will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this specification in view of the drawings supplied herewith. It is therefore intended that the invention and any claims related thereto include all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents that are encompassed by the spirit and scope of this invention. 

1. A drainage support apparatus disposed beneath a backfill layer of soil, said apparatus comprising: a substantially rigid conduit support member having bottom and lateral containment surfaces and an open channel slot running the length of said conduit support member; and aggregate material contained within said conduit support member; said aggregate material having a lower fluid resistance density than said backfill layer of soil such that a siphoning effect is created by fluid drainage through said aggregate material.
 2. The drainage support apparatus of claim 1, wherein said conduit support member is a molded plastic unit.
 3. The drainage support apparatus of claim 1, wherein said conduit support member is formed as a half cylinder such that said open channel slot has a width substantially equal to the inner diameter of said conduit support member.
 4. The drainage support apparatus of claim 1, wherein said conduit support member has open longitudinal ends, said drainage support apparatus further comprising water-permeable barriers transversely disposed in relative abutment at each of the open-faced longitudinal ends of said conduit support member, wherein said water-permeable barriers substantially prevent aggregate material contained within the conduit support member from passing through the open longitudinal ends.
 5. The drainage support apparatus of claim 4, wherein said water-permeable barriers comprise perforated filter members.
 6. The drainage support apparatus of claim 4, wherein said water-permeable barriers comprise plastic or metallic mesh material.
 7. The drainage support apparatus of claim 4, wherein said water-permeable barriers are fixedly attached to an aggregate containment harness that includes one or more longitudinal support rods for connecting said water-permeable barriers in mutual disposition corresponding to the position of said water-permeable barriers transversely disposed in relative abutment at each of the open-faced longitudinal ends of said conduit support member.
 8. The drainage support apparatus of claim 1, wherein said aggregate material comprises a loosely clustered mass of individual mineral-based particles.
 9. The drainage support apparatus of claim 1, wherein said aggregate material comprises inert polystyrene particles. 10-21 (canceled)
 22. The drainage support apparatus of claim 1, wherein the combination of said conduit support member and said aggregate material has load bearing strength sufficient to support vehicular traffic.
 23. A drainage support apparatus disposed beneath a backfill layer of soil, said apparatus comprising: a substantially rigid conduit support member having bottom and lateral containment surfaces and an open channel slot running the length of said conduit support member; and aggregate material contained within said conduit support member; wherein the combination of said conduit support member and said aggregate material has load bearing strength sufficient to support vehicular traffic.
 24. The drainage support apparatus of claim 23, wherein said conduit support member is a molded plastic unit.
 25. The drainage support apparatus of claim 23, wherein said conduit support member is formed as a half cylinder such that said open channel slot has a width substantially equal to the inner diameter of said conduit support member.
 26. The drainage support apparatus of claim 23, wherein said conduit support member has open longitudinal ends, said drainage support apparatus further comprising water-permeable barriers transversely disposed in relative abutment at each of the open-faced longitudinal ends of said conduit support member, wherein said water-permeable barriers substantially prevent aggregate material contained within the conduit support member from passing through the open longitudinal ends.
 27. The drainage support apparatus of claim 26, wherein said water-permeable barriers comprise perforated filter members.
 28. The drainage support apparatus of claim 26, wherein said water-permeable barriers comprise plastic or metallic mesh material.
 29. The drainage support apparatus of claim 26, wherein said water-permeable barriers are fixedly attached to an aggregate containment harness that includes one or more longitudinal support rods for connecting said water-permeable barriers in mutual disposition corresponding to the position of said water-permeable barriers transversely disposed in relative abutment at each of the open-faced longitudinal ends of said conduit support member.
 30. The drainage support apparatus of claim 23, wherein said aggregate material comprises a loosely clustered mass of individual mineral-based particles.
 31. The drainage support apparatus of claim 23, wherein said aggregate material comprises inert polystyrene particles.
 32. A drainage support assembly comprising a plurality of drainage support apparatuses arranged longitudinally in an end-to-end alignment, each said drainage support apparatus comprising: a substantially rigid conduit support member having bottom and lateral containment surfaces, open longitudinal ends and an open channel slot running the length of said conduit support member; aggregate material contained within said conduit support member; and removable water-permeable barriers transversely disposed in relative abutment at each of the open-faced longitudinal ends of said conduit support member, wherein said water-permeable barriers substantially prevent aggregate material contained within the conduit support member from passing through the open longitudinal ends; whereby said water-permeable barriers disposed between adjacent drainage support apparatuses may be removed to improve fluid flow through said conduit support member.
 33. The drainage support apparatus of claim 32, wherein said water-permeable barriers comprise perforated filter members.
 34. The drainage support apparatus of claim 33, wherein said water-permeable barriers comprise plastic or metallic mesh material.
 35. The drainage support apparatus of claim 33, wherein said water-permeable barriers are fixedly attached to an aggregate containment harness that includes one or more longitudinal support rods for connecting said water-permeable barriers in mutual disposition corresponding to the position of said water-permeable barriers transversely disposed in relative abutment at each of the open-faced longitudinal ends of said conduit support member. 